The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-03-01
A WOMAN HANGED.
. n WUMhAN VHAAAt y =
Mrs. ROxana Druce Pays the
Death Penalty.
THE SCENE on THE SCAFFOLD-
he Story of Her trime-The MUIR
dered Husband-She Ex0ner-
ates Her Daughter
THE SCENE on THE sCAFFOLD

HERKIMgR. n. Y, February 27.-In
every pulpit here 10 day, allusion was
maze to the case Of Mrs Druse, who is
TO be hanged tomorrow, and the hope
was g morally expressed that the pro-
caedings would be ayerted. Mrs. Druse
has passed most of the day in tears
She ontends that She is in reality
innocent of the murder of her husband.
Te,egrams have been sent from here
nv scores, to-day, requesting the
Governor 10 commute her sentence
! Mrs. Druse, yesterday, made her will,
| bs0uearhiDg her baby 10 her clergy
man. Rev. Mr.. Powell, and her cabin t
organ TO her daughter Mary, who is in
| the OnOndaga Penitenuary, serving
out life sentence for her participation
in her fathers murder. Her son,
George, had parting interview with
her yesterday, aud she was much
affected. Tonight service was held IN
her cell by Mr.. Powell who will con-
duce the funeral services tomorrow.
Mrs. Druse has had simply dress
made for the occasion. Only the small
number of persons allowed by law will
witness the execution which will take
place at about II am.
HERKIMER, n. Y, February 2S.-Rox-
ana bruce, who murdered her hus-
band, George Druse, in December, 1884,
was hanged for her crime at noon to-
day. After the services last evening
Mrs. DIuse remained up until about
IL 80 pm. Deputy Sheriff Mannion.
with Mr.. and Mrs. Waterman. the
death watch, induced her to lie down,
and she had about an hours quiet sleep.
She awakened with q start, aud
upon arising began to write let
tiers as calmly as she had at
any time during her incarceration. In
one of these she thanked the sheriff for
his kindness to her and asked that Der
body might be given to her pastor for
Christian burial. After waiting she
laid down again and fell into doze.
She was attacked with Mysteries in vi
client form and it required considerable
effort upon the part of the watchers to
arouse and calm her. During the night
she ate one of the heartiest meals she
had eaten since she was prisoner. She
had about two hours rest after p. NJ,
but did not sleep SOundly at any
time. One of her first visitors this
morning was Superintendent Irving
Terry, of Onondsga Peniten
tiary, who brought a farewell from her
daughter Mary, who is prisoner. This
visit had q most exciting effect upon
Mrs. bruce. Rev. DR.. Powell visited
Mrs. bruce about 9, and did all in his
power to calm her and prepare her for
the awful moment. Every road lead
ing into town was dotted with sleighs,
crowded with fur-coated men, and not
few women. The crowd in the village
increased on the arrival of every train
and in spite of the extreme cold, men,
omen and children stood about the
streets surrounding the jail. The ex-
ecution was witnessed by twenty-five
per- ons, including the officials.
Yesterday morning Mrs. Drus, made
a confession to DR.. Powell, her spiritual
adviser, in which she declared that
Charles Gates had instigaied her to
commit the murder, and says that he
provided her with the revolver. She
declared that after she fred the first
shot Gates fired thee succeeding Shots
from a window. She confessed to hav-
ing cut up her husbands body and that
Gates took the body away and burned
1t. She related that she killed Druse,
6ecal Sc he had treated her cruelty and
Drutally,
At lI.42 Mrs. Druse and DR.. Powell
knelt on the floor of the scaffold under
the rope. Mrs. Druse held her daugh-
ter's bonnet in her hand and closed her
eyes while Dr.. Powell offered a PRAYER.
Mrs. Druse was dressed IN black cash
mere, with laced neck and sleeves. She
wore small shawl over heS shoulders.
She maintained her ccmpo5ure on the
scanold until the cap was drawn over
ner lace, when she began to moan. and
hnalIy began to scream 50 loudly that
she could be heard in the street adjoin-
Ing the Jail. The trap was sprung and
after she fell she made but one con-
Vulsive movement.
Just before going to the scaffold, Mrs.
Druse made an affidavit declaring that
her daughter Mary, now confined in
onondags penitentiary, had nothing
whatever to do with the killing of her